Emergency Management & Fire Safety Officer

Department: Campus Operations & Risk Mgmt. 

Job Type: Continuing

Full-time/Part-time: Full Time (>=1249 hrs/year) 

Campus: Waterloo 

Reports to: Manager, Compliance and Risk Assessment

Employee Group: WLUSA 

Application Deadline: April 3, 2023

Requisition ID: 5088 

Wilfrid Laurier University is a leading multi-campus university that excels at educating with purpose. Through its exceptional employees, students, researchers, leaders, and educators, Laurier has built a reputation as a world-class institution known for its rich student experience, academic excellence, and global impact. With a commitment to Indigenization and commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, Laurier’s thriving community has a place for everyone.

Laurier has more than 19,000 students and 2,100 faculty and staff across campuses in Waterloo and Brantford, as well locations in Kitchener and Milton. The university is committed to providing an inclusive workplace, a flexible work policy and employing a workforce that is reflective of local and national demographics. Our locations are situated on the traditional territories of the Neutral, Anishnawbe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. We recognize the unique heritages of Indigenous peoples and support their intentions to preserve and express their distinctive Indigenous cultures, histories, and knowledge through academic programming and co-curricular activities. Laurier’s Centre for Indigegogy is one example of how Laurier honours Indigenous knowledge.

Position Summary

The Emergency Management & Life Safety Officer is responsible for leading and developing the University’s Emergency Response Plan, including maintaining and communicating of emergency preparedness measures and strategies. In addition, has responsibility to keep abreast of industry standards that advance prevention, mitigation, response and recovery elements of emergency management. The incumbent also provides fire/life safety advice and expertise to the Laurier community, working with internal and external stakeholders to ensure compliance with applicable legislation, codes, standards and best practices.

The incumbent leads, implements and maintains the Fire/Life Safety Program. They are responsible to conduct fire/life safety audits and risk assessments, and provide advice on practices, policies, codes and standards.  In addition, the incumbent reviews plans for code compliance, compiles lists of deficiencies and develops, implements and maintains fire safety plans, programs and policies for all campuses. The incumbent is also responsible for all training and education related to fire/life safety.

The incumbent leads, implements, and maintains the Emergency Management Program. This includes implementation of prevention techniques, mitigation strategies and preparedness activities. In addition, the incumbent develops and maintains Laurier’s emergency response plans and helps oversee recovery activities during and after emergencies.

The incumbent will lead the development of Event Safety Risk Management Plans for large scale events. The incumbent will support the WSIB and Risk Control Specialist with the coordination and execution of SHERM’s Workplace Violence Prevention Program, in addition to supporting the safety planning for smaller scale events.

This position has a university-wide mandate.  The incumbent provides subject matter expertise to all campuses, requiring regular interpersonal interactions and collaboration with departments at the Waterloo Campus, Brantford Campus, Kitchener location, Milton Campus, and any future locations. The incumbent liaises with local fire departments within the jurisdictions that Laurier operates.

Accountabilities

Emergency Management

• Develop and conduct risk assessments to determine and prioritize risks to Laurier.
• Develop and implement pre-emergency safety planning to ensure continuity of operations with internal and external stakeholders.
• Responsible to review and recommend amendments to the Emergency Management policy and Emergency Response Plans as needed.
• Participation in the Emergency Control Group (ECG) during emergency situations, as required.
• Responsible to ensure the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) is in a constant state of readiness and to ensure all necessary equipment needed for its function is located within.
• Coordinate with key university stakeholders, including Special Constable Service, Facilities and Asset Management, External Affairs and Information Communication Technologies to provide technical and consultative support in all areas and activities, including fire/life safety systems, necessary to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergency incidents, crisis and/or disasters occurring at or impacting the University.
• Responsible to liaise with external stakeholders including fire departments, police departments, emergency medical services etc. to ensure continuity of operations and compatibility of response plans.
• Leads, implements, and executes emergency preparedness training awareness and exercise activities at all levels within the university community to continually improve the University’s preparedness.
• Coordinates the activities of internal working groups related to Emergency Management.

Fire/Life Safety 

• Develop and conduct risk assessments to determine and prioritize risks.
• Leads the development, implementation, maintenance, promotion and training of the fire/ life safety program including: policies, programs and procedures and fire safety plans.
• Respond to, when needed, fires occurrences, including those occurring after hours, to assist Municipal Fire Departments and assists building emergency teams and investigates and follows-up on building fire alarm activations.
• Oversees the “hot work” and “shut-down” permits for all contactors.
• Responds to, investigates and follows up on fire safety complaints.
• Liaises with the fire departments and municipalities on a regular basis and other regulators, as necessary, for fire/life safety issues.  Conduct inspections and investigations to support regulatory investigations.  
• Perform fire/life safety audits and inspections in all Laurier buildings (leased or owned) to ensure compliance with codes, standards and procedures.  Perform due-diligence inspections to ensure compliance of new building construction, new acquisitions and renovations.
• Provide technical advice and guidance to staff, faculty, students, fire safety volunteers and others on fire safety issues.  Recommend and initiate corrective actions to ensure a fire safe environment.
• Monitor and evaluate maintenance of fire protection systems (e.g. sprinklers, fire alarms, fixed suppression systems etc.) and recommends repairs as they impact Ancillary/Facilities and Asset Management & project budgets.
• Assist Facilities and Asset Management and the Department of Residence in ensuring all external inspections, maintenance and record keeping of fixed fire extinguishing systems and fire alarms systems are in conformance with applicable codes and standards.
• Ensures appropriate volunteer evacuation staff coverage and executes annual evacuation drills.
• Supports the SHERM lead in the implementation in areas relating to fire safety, as requested (Milton Campus).
• Provides fire/life safety training and public education to the Laurier community, including students, staff, and faculty.

Staff or Faculty Threats (Waterloo Campus)

• Responds to urgent situations and leads the safety planning for staff and faculty who may encounter, or be exposed to violence in the absence of the Manager, Compliance and Risk Assessment.
• Assists the Manager, Compliance and Risk Assessment, during investigation activities including making recommendations for remedial actions, as requested.

• Meet the stakeholders to resolve low/moderate risk workplace violence situations, as requested.
• Handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion.

Event Safety & Risk Management

• Develop and Event Safety Risk Management Plans (ESRMP) for larger scale events taking place at Laurier (Homecoming, St. Patrick’s, Convocation, etc.).
• Works with the Manager in the absence of the WISB Programs & Risk Control Specialist to:

• Initiate the planning process for a stakeholder requests by performing the ESRMP Risk Scoring to determine the risk level for the event
• Develop a plan and make recommendations to ensure that controls are in place to mitigate potential risks in conjunction with SCS

Qualifications

• A College diploma in Fire Protection and Prevention plus five years combined experience in the following:
  • Emergency preparedness and management programs
  • knowledge of the Ontario Fire Protection and Prevention Act, Building Code Act and Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act and associated regulations and standards.
  • Strong understanding of fire and life systems as they relate to building systems

• A Certificate in Emergency Management, and/or Provincial Certification/training in emergency management.
• Incumbent must have:
• Strong verbal and written skills
• Strong training and education skills
• Strong judgment, analytical and problem solving skills
• Excellent organizational abilities, including ability to set priorities, manage a high volume of work and competing demands
• Ability to travel to Brantford campus

Compensation

Position Grade: SH-09

Rate of pay: $37.88 - $44.55 per hour

Hours of Work:  The normal hours of work are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday.  Flexibility in hours will be required, including evening and/or weekend work due to events.  When possible, the manager will adjust the work schedule so that no more than 35 hours are worked in a week.

This position has not been deemed eligible for educational equivalencies. 

Please refer to the attached link for details.

Job Evaluation Factor Scores

All Laurier employees and students are required to comply with the University's Covid-19 mandatory vaccination policy. Effective May 1st, Wilfrid Laurier University will pause its proof of vaccination requirements. Should these recommendations change, vaccination requirements can be reinstated on short notice. Community members should remain up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations.

Wilfrid Laurier University endeavors to fill positions with qualified candidates who have a combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position while demonstrating Laurier's Employee Success Factors.

Equity, diversity and creating a culture of inclusion are part of Laurier’s core values and central to the Laurier Strategy. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any minority sexual and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Candidates from other equity deserving groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact Equity & Accessibility. We have strived to make our application process accessible, however if you require any assistance applying for a position or would like this job posting in an alternative format, please contact Human Resources. Contact information can be found at careers.wlu.ca/content/How-to-apply/

Should you be interested in learning more about this opportunity, please visit www.wlu.ca/careers for additional information and the online application system. All applications must be submitted online. Please note, a resume and cover letter will be required in electronic form.